“The pursuit of interventions to prevent or delay Alzheimer’s and related dementias is an important national priority. We are encouraging the testing of a variety of new approaches, and this study’s positive results suggest one avenue to pursue further.” ~ Richard J. Hodes, M.D., director of the NIA.

Based on their studies in human postmortem brain, they developed a new strain of mice mimicking major features of human Alzheimer’s such as tau pathology, failing synapses, neuronal death and cognitive impairment.

Using this animal model, the researchers tested the effects of an NR supplement by adding it to the drinking water of the mice.

Over a three-month period, researchers found that mice who received NR showed reduced tau in their brains, but no change in amyloid-beta.

The NR-treated mice also had less DNA damage, higher neuroplasticity (activity and reorganization of brain cells associated with learning or memory), increased production of new neurons from neuronal stem cells, and lower levels of neuronal damage and death.

In the hippocampus area of the brain – in which damage and loss of volume is found in people with dementia – NR seemed to either clear existing DNA damage or prevent it from spreading further.

The NR-treated mice also performed better than control mice on multiple behavioral and memory tests, such as water mazes and object recognition.

NR mice also showed better muscular and grip strength, higher endurance, and improved gait compared to their control counterparts. The research team believes that these physical and cognitive benefits are due to a rejuvenating effect NR had on stem cells in both muscle and brain tissue.

“We are encouraged by these findings that see an effect in this Alzheimer’s disease model. We are looking forward to further testing of how NR or similar compounds might be pursued for their possible therapeutic benefit for people with dementia.” ~ said Dr. Bohr.

Next steps for the research team include further studies on the underlying mechanisms and preparations towards intervention in humans.

The findings appear in the Feb. 5, 2018, issue of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Bob DeMarco is the Founder of the Alzheimer's Reading Room (ARR). Bob is a recognized expert, writer, speaker, and influencer in the Alzheimer's and Dementia Community worldwide. The Alzheimer's Reading Room contains more than 5,000 articles and has been published daily since July, 2009.

The team’s work also included contributions from researchers at the Danish Aging Research Center at the University of Aarhus, and the Center for Healthy Aging at the University of Copenhagen. The Bohr lab has a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement -- which allows NIH investigators to join colleagues from industry and academia to pursue common research goals -- with ChromaDex Corp.

About the National Institute on Aging: The NIA leads the federal government effort conducting and supporting research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. It provides information on age-related cognitive change and neurodegenerative disease specifically at its Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center at www.nia.nih.gov/health/alzheimers.

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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